This week, the legislation that originally created the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) will turn 50 years old. The stated purpose of the Canada Pension Plan was to ensure all working Canadians have an opportunity to retire in dignity. It builds on basic Old Age Security to achieve greater social justice linked to progress in the economy. But Canada has big challenges to face in the immediate future if we're to honour Lester Pearson's ambition of a fair, efficient, adequate system of retirement income for all Canadians.

The new TransCanada pipeline isn't about getting energy east -- it's about getting crude oil east. When discussing the environmental impact of oil sands development, stop using the benign sounding "tailings ponds" when we're actually talking about "toxic sludge." Ducks aren't killed when they land in ponds.

Brainstorming continues to be used because it feels intuitively right to do so. As such, it is one more placebo in the talent management cabinet, believed to work in spite of the clear absence of evidence. So go ahead, schedule that brainstorming meeting -- just don't expect it to accomplish much.

It's important to reconsider the romanticized notion that being your own boss is the key to happiness in life. Although there are many benefits to being an entrepreneur, for some, the psychological toll isn't worth it.

A condo unit will remain a viable real-estate ownership alternative for as long as its monthly maintenance fees and realty taxes remain below the monthly rental of a comparable unit in another condo complex or apartment building. Once the condo's maintenance fees and realty taxes exceed the cost of comparative rentals, there will be no demand to buy it.

Both the Monsanto- and Farm Bureau-led set of privacy principles and the emerging models of farmers controlling monetization of their data may be a model of privacy that those promoting economic justice models around data use should be paying close attention to.

Both Piketty and Clark say that politics, not economics, will determine the future. However, the economy will certainly be a major focus of upcoming election debates in both countries. The real question is, will the electorates in the U.S. and the UK stage a revolt?

I have spent many years working with, observing, teaching and coaching leaders. I have also heard many stories from employees about leaders they have loved to work for and those they have not enjoyed as much. There are some key themes that I have observed in leaders who are highly effective and get the best from people they work with.

Indeed, further restraint on compensation spending would help ease the pressure on Ontario's finances. Ensuring that the wages and benefits of provincial government workers are in line with private sector norms for similar positions would be a good first step towards getting things right.

While maintaining your own blog is a great idea, you should also consider contributing to other, more-established, online communities within your industry or field of interest. The value lies in the fact that every piece of content you contribute -- which has your name attached -- may reach hundreds or even thousands of new people. All of whom can find their way back to your website or Facebook page.

CBC is like a crazy, old aunt, unwilling to accept the reality of her circumstances. In CBC's case it is the reality that its radio audience is comprised mostly of older Canadians. CBC senior managers have recently boasted about the record high audiences of CBC Radio. So the decline in CBC Radio and the real audience story have been covered up, along with the serious negative effects of disproportionate budget cuts. Meanwhile managers continue to ignore how people use radio, going after the younger, hip audience that long ago abandoned radio for other media choices.

A key section of the secret Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement has been leaked to the public. The New York Times has a major story on the contents of the leaked chapter, and it's as bad as many of us feared. Now we know why the corporations and the Obama administration want the TPP kept secret from the public until it's too late to stop it.

No matter how you file your return, make sure you have all your income slips and if you missed one, don't wait for the CRA to find out. Forgetting an income slip is easy enough to do but if you have done it once, you need to be extra careful for the next four years to avoid any major penalties.

Canadians might be setting themselves up for a bright future and a comfortable retirement. But how are they going to pay the bills today? What about pressing expenses that are stretching budgets thin today? I would pump the breaks before we get into the territory of feeling financially bulletproof.

The backlash to this incident became a turning point in the history of the US and global labor movements. But 104 years later, it has become clear that too many folks in this country have forgotten the painful lessons of that day.

Be it a difficult conversation that needs to had, a negotiation on which we have to hold firm, or an opportunity that we believe needs to be seized, bravery is not the absence of fear but the ability to triumph over it.